Marx and the Eschaton

To suppose that Christ doesn't have anything to do with marxist eschatology is to fail to understand the spirit of the age; it is to fail to grasp the point that Hegel and Marx were both upon; speaking, as they were, in an essentially jewish register. 

It was this same register that propelled the disciple and later apostle Peter to slice the ear off the servant alongside Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane; this same individual that wanted to reject the purpose Jesus had. In an ironic moment, in nearly the same sentence, Peter proclaims that Jesus is messiah, and yet denies that Jesus must die; a statement to which Jesus replies: "get behind me Satan". How could one be both understanding and yet so blind? It wouldn't be impossible to read this misunderstanding back into the prophetic works.

Throughout the prophets of the Old testament the promise is that the messiah will release the captives, set the oppressed free; we read this over and over, and yet always with the caveat that this will be a matter of being led by the messiah. And thus, it is not impossible that the same narrative plays in the reality of the Marxist eschaton. We must produce the kingdom of God now (utopia), the new world we have in our hearts. But this position is set in opposition to the desire that messiah has for us; messiah will lead us to greener pastures, while "we all, like sheep, have gone astray." The difference here is subtle: As messiah leads I am made blind to my own. 

Peter was led astray in the garden because, being a Zealot, he expected messiah to lead him and the people of Israel out of political captivity, which is not without truth in the prophets. But messiah never came to release the captives from whatever we pridefully despise; his release includes the denial of self, because it was the selfish eschaton that stole from God's retribution. Retribution (vengeance) is mine, saith the Lord. Thus, can we understand what this looks like? or is that already to desire vision (and so, sin?) (John 9)

It is partially because this position is ambiguous that we might say there is difficulty. God supports the release; it is talked about throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah; but this release on our terms, is already a failure of self. Whatever the release might become is not on our terms. Perhaps all of it might be read back into the parable of the weeds, which grow alongside the wheat until judgement/harvest. 

To say that God supports whatever we do is to fail to understand prophetic warning. Thus the justice of God cannot be conclusively rallied as support for any world system: socialist, communist, capitalist, or whatever. Any effort to mimic will already fail to address prophetic warning. The God of the old testament led his people himself. 

Will we wager then and hope that what we produce is analogous to the dictates of God, short of being led? Maybe we wonder what it's like to be led?